Israeli Sports Tech: Bringing Innovation to the Competition

Israel’s approach to innovation is deeply rooted in its challenging environment and persistent urgency. Known as the “Startup Nation,” Israel fosters a culture of “impatient innovation,” where swift solutions address pressing challenges. The ecosystem comprises over 7,200 startups, venture capital funds, innovation centers, accelerators, incubators, and public universities, facilitating rapid iteration and collaboration. 

Israel’s history of resilience in the face of adversity—from geopolitical conflicts to economic crises—has honed its ability to maintain business continuity and innovation. This resilience is evident in the tech sector’s ability to attract significant investments, launch new funds, and execute mergers and acquisitions, even during crises. 

What is Sports Tech? 

Sports technology, or sports tech, encompasses innovations designed to enhance athletic performance, fan engagement, sports broadcasting, and overall sports experiences. This sector leverages advancements in AI, data analytics, biomechanics, and digital media to provide tools for athletes, coaches, teams, and fans. Sports tech includes automated video production, smart wearables, personalized nutrition plans, cognitive training platforms, and immersive fan engagement applications. By integrating technology into sports, sports tech transforms how sports are played, viewed, and experienced globally. 

Israeli Sports Tech Ecosystem 

Israel’s sports tech ecosystem integrates the nation’s renowned innovation and technological prowess with the determination and resilience inherent in all athletes. The traits that make athletes successful—dedication, ability to handle failure and stress, and relentless pursuit of excellence—mirror the qualities needed for successful entrepreneurship. This alignment creates an ideal environment for “impatient innovation” in sports tech. 

Strategic collaborations enhance Israel’s sports tech impact, with partnerships between entities like the National Olympic Committee of Israel and the Technion—Israeli Institute of Technology. Israeli sports tech companies are advancing local sports capabilities, making significant inroads in international markets, and partnering with global tech giants.  

Main Sports Tech Verticals and Israeli Companies 

• Fan Engagement: Israeli companies are enhancing fan interaction with sports. Platforms like Pico provide personalized fan engagement solutions, working with NBA and NHL teams and major European football clubs like Bayern Munich. Tokabot offers tools for clubs, federations, and media outlets to engage with fans during games through online platforms. 

• Media and Broadcasting: Companies like PlaySight and Pixellot revolutionize sports media and broadcasting. PlaySight offers automated live streaming and multi-angle video recording production, serving high school teams, NCAA programs, and professional franchises. Pixellot provides automated production without human intervention, and it is used by ESPN, SONY, and FC Barcelona. LiveU, known for its cost-effective production and broadcasting, is used by La Liga and other networks like ESPN and FOX Sports. 

• Health and Fitness: Israeli sports-tech companies provide innovative health and fitness solutions. LikeAGlove created smart measuring garments, Sleeprate offers sleep solutions for enterprises and athletes. Physimax provides platforms for musculoskeletal self-assessment used by organizations like West Point and the Utah Jazz. 

• Athlete Development: Technologies like IntelliGym enhance cognitive training for athletes. Initially developed for the Israeli Air Force, IntelliGym improves decision-making and concentration and is now used by youth clubs and professional teams globally. 

Israeli Athletes Becoming Founders 

Athletes’ success in the sports-tech industry is driven by their determination and the tech industry’s potential. Many athletes transition to tech ventures, leveraging their goal-oriented dedication and teamwork. In Israel, the “Sports, Start-Up, and Media” course, launched in 2019, helps players transition into high-tech and sports-tech. This course, a joint initiative of the “Colosseum” sports innovation group and the Israeli Players’ Association, includes sessions on entrepreneurship, industry field trips, and advanced sports technologies. 

Among the course graduates are goalkeepers Danny Amos, Daniel Tenenbaum, and Omri Glazer, veteran players like Yuval Avidor, and young players like Tai Baribo and Aylon Yerushalmi.

Some Israeli athletes have successfully launched companies: 

SenSwim: Israel’s most decorated swimmer, Gal Nevo, founded SenSwim to measure swimmers’ performances and provide recommendations. The system is installed in the Olympic pool at the Wingate Institute. 

Aviv Net: Tamir Goodman, known as the “Jewish Jordan” for his exceptional basketball skills, founded Aviv Net, an innovative anti-bacterial basketball net. Born from the disruptions of COVID-19, the net is designed to address ball control and hygiene issues simultaneously, enhancing player safety and performance.  

Investing in Tech: NBA veteran Omri Casspi invested in Day Two, a nutritional tech start-up offering personalized dietary recommendations based on gut microbiome analysis. This innovation helps optimize health and performance through tailored nutrition plans. 

Landscape Map from Finder

Athletes’ success in the sports-tech industry is driven by their determination and the tech industry’s potential. Many athletes transition to tech ventures, leveraging their goal-oriented dedication and teamwork.

With the Paris Summer Olympics underway, here are some of Israel’s top sports tech companies and products: 

• Tokabot: Fan engagement tool for clubs, federations, and media outlets 

• PlaySight: Automated live streaming and multi-angle video recording production 

• Pixellot: Automated sports production without human intervention 

• LiveU: Innovative and cost-effective sports production and broadcasting 

• SenSwim: Provides automatic data for swimming coaches 

• DayTwo: Nutritional tech start-up offering personalized dietary recommendations 

• IntelliGym: Cognitive training platform initially developed for the Israeli Air Force 

• Physimax: Platform for musculoskeletal self-assessment 

• Replay Technologies (acquired by Intel): Multi-dimensional imaging technology 

• MindFly: Smart camera system for athletes’ vests 

The synergy between Israel’s robust innovation ecosystem and athletes’ disciplined, resilient mindsets creates an ideal environment for sports tech entrepreneurship. This combination drives advancements in sports technology and contributes to the broader vision of Israeli innovation and resilience, positioning Israel as a global leader in tech and sports innovation.